#arc: faller^2

[cirosas-strongest-leader]

(new thread between me, @time-travel-trio and @skyfire-the-pokemon-biologist)

Welp. We’re here. The base. The tree fort. The swag spot.

Right, I’ll go let the others know, and we’ll get a resting spot prepared. In the meantime, you two catch up with each other!

(With that, Ollie runs up into the tree fort.)

(you can skip me now until I say otherwise)

@time-travel-trio

[quantum-quartet]

(It's a video! Play it?)

[Yes]

"GONNA MCFREAKIN LOSE IT! WAS MY TWIN NOT ENOUGH, PIX, NOW YOU HAVE MY UNCLE TOO?! I SWEAR TO GIRA-"

"Yanmega, Hypnosis."

(Dusk collapses. For the fifth time by Hypnosis. L bozo.)

"This is gettin' old."

[mr-jack-letterman]

HELLO HI

God I love the Submas fandom, all of you are so nice <3

In any case, I have a silly Au for y'all to munch on.

Allow me to introduce you all to Covalent Twins :]

Covalent

Adjective

- Relating to or denoting chemical bonds formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.

Or in this case, the sharing of Emmet between 2 Ingos from different timelines NSNDNNDDD.

This Au is essentially the answer to the question: "doesn't being sent to the distant past inherently mean you are also now long dead in the future you just left?"

The answer is yes and no btw

The explanation for this involves a lot of time nonsense that I'm very bad at explaining but the Tldr is basically this:

When Ingo gets sent to the past, this creates a connection between the past and the future. This makes time get all fucky and split into two separate timelines (Timeline A and Timeline B)

Timeline A:

Time in this timeline runs parallel to the future as long as Ingo stays within it (essentially, if Ingo stays in the past for 2 years, then 2 years pass in the present).

Due to this connection, Akari (aka Dawn) gets sent to this timeline (But not Timeline B) and the game events of PLA play out (+ a lot more Ingo bonding because uncle Ingo supremacy)

Akari manages to get her and Ingo sent back home with the power of Arceus, causing both timelines to merge back together again into one cohesive line with only the events of Timeline B being remembered by history.

Ingo and Emmet get their happy ending.

This Ingo got sent to Hisui when he was 29, stayed there for 2 years, and went home when he was 31.

And Timeline B:

This timeline was created as a cannon fodder timeline so Akari and Ingo can keep doing time shenanigans in Timeline A without disturbing the space time continuum even more.

This timeline is therefore not connected to the future the same way Timeline A is.

The Ingo of this timeline (Nicknamed "War" or "Warden" for simplicity.) lives through the PLA game events but with Rei taking the place of Akari.

War doesn't bond with him the same way Ingo does with Akari because Rei isn't a faller.

The events of the game are the exact same (minus the Arc phone, Rei taking the place of Akari, and catching Arceus).

Despite Rei calming the nobles and catching Palkia and Dialga, he is still not the chosen hero. Warden is unable to go home or regain his memories.

Warden lives in Hisui and serves as a warden for the Pearl Clan for a total of 7 years before dying alongside his partner pokemon, Gliscor (nicknamed Nimbasa), while protecting Lady Sneasler from a Zoroark attack at the age of 36.

Warden drifts as a ghost for many years, with only Nimbasa the Gliscor as company. He watches his friends grow old, and eventually die. They pass on to the afterlife, but Warden stays on earth, wandering the Alabaster Icelands and Mount Coronet, searching for people from a life he can't remember even in death.

Warden watches as Hisui changes into Sinnoh. Jubilife Village becomes Jubilife City. Pokemon species die out and new ones are born.

As the world slowly becomes more and more familiar, the great Sinnohs, Palkia and Dialga, take pity on the lost warden, and decide together to lead him home.

It may take 150 years, and many miles of travel, but Warden is pulled by an unknown force towards the Unova region. Though he is unable to touch anything or speak to anyone, it's all so painfully familiar.

He is pulled towards Nimbasa city, (ah! That's where he got the name from!) and eventually to an apartment.

There, he is greeted by a young girl, barely 17. A man in black, who looks exactly like him, give or take a few years and a few scars.

And a smiling man in white. The man he has been searching for for over 150 years...

And they're staring at him, truly staring at him, not through him.

Why is the man in white crying?

*evil laughter.mp3*

So yeah! The twins have an older brother now :D

I mean he's dead and also Ingo just 5 years older and from a different timeline but still!!!

If you've made it this far I believe you deserve a gold star ⭐ and also some art for your troubles.

So here's War and Nimbasa ↓

And some fluffy interaction between War and Emmet as a bandaid.

If you guys have any questions regarding how this Au works, or are interested in seeing more of it, don't hesitate to shoot me an ask :D

I hope I enjoyed reading about my silly Au, even if it was a bit long lol.

*fades back into the void of Submas fics.*

[crispythehubcoon]

HELLO, THERE!

Crispy here! As I've made more and more roleplay blogs and gained more and more experience in the pokemon irl community, I've learned a few things. For one, I don't really like clogging my blogs with ooc messages. For another, sometimes communicating as the mun is necessary to help things go smoothly. And, most important of all, it's a pain in the butt to repeat the same announcement across 5+ blogs. So, I thought I'd solve all of those problems in one fell swoop by creating this blog! Here, you can find any blog of mine you might be interested in, ask me any ooc questions you like, and follow for ooc alerts/statements/commentary related to my blogs or my life. I hope this will help you out as much as it will help me!

Tags I will use:

#pinned - pinned posts from my blogs

#announcement - standalone posts that will communicate important things, including life events that might interfere with my blogging or any rule changes.

#ask - any ask I am sent here

#ask game - I'll store ask games here for later use. I don't reblog them to receive asks here unless stated otherwise! Feel free to reblog from here without sending an ask in return, I don't mind!

Trigger warnings will be tagged as I see fit. Feel free to ask me to tag anything! It will be in a triple format; #tw [trigger] #[trigger] and #[trigger] warning. Just to make sure no one sees anything they don't want to.

More tags will be added as needed :) enjoy your stay!

Blog Directory

@ballonleastadiumofficial - my interpretation of Bede from pokemon SWSH! He is a perpetually 15 year old trans boy who leads Ballonlea's gym with only moderate interference from Opal. The rotumblr populace is free to poke, prod, and annoy him as they please. Sometimes Opal, the gym trainers, or Bede's pokemon may make appearances on his blog.

Current arc: Bede and Opal have inexplicably found themselves in Hisui-era Sinnoh. Can they find their way back home?

@gmax-butterfree - my Galarian bug type gym leader OC, Hemmi. They try their hardest to look cool and appeal to other trainers, but they are really awkward at heart. The blog explores their passion for bug type pokemon and insecurities about being in Galar's minor league.

Current arc: N/A

@pixieprince - my interpretation of Ortega from pokemon SCVI. He's here to speak his mind and deliver the hottest takes this side of the great crater. ...And maybe to be there for his friends, but don't say that part out loud. Feel free to strike up a conversation! He will probably act abrasive, but he doesn't totally mean it.

Current arc: Ortega has recently come into possession of both a Furfrou puppy and a newborn Milcery. Can he handle the responsibility?

@when-lechonk-learn-levitate - my Naranja-Uva student OC who loves all things that oink! Her name is Samrah, and her main concerns are growing up alongside her little brother, determining her path in life, and spreading the love for pig pokemon. Her enthusiasm knows no bounds, and she's itching for a friend to share it with.

Current arc: N/A

@medicalmystery7 - a faller blog for Medic from Team Fortress 2! Dr. Ludwig has been spat out in the pokemon world by unknown means with no memory to fall back on... just a pocket full of syringes and a Pidove named Archimedes. Honestly, it's not the worst situation he's ever found himself in, and he's making the most of it by applying his ingenuity and general disregard for human decency toward pokemon battles.

Current arc: After being fired from his job at a Nacrene City pokemon center, Medic is hiding from the authorities at an undisclosed location in Unova.

@macrocosmos-social - a Chairman Rose blog meant to compliment @ballonleastadiumofficial. It's meant to allow Rose to answer questions that Bede would never be caught dead answering and shed some light on Bede's upbringing that led him to become the person he is today. Oh yeah, it's also meant to allow me to roleplay being an insufferable jerk. Exploring perspectives like that is fun. Here, Rose has bribed his way into getting internet access from jail and is making it everyone else's problem. He is using an old, failed corporate account designed by a public relations worker for Macro Cosmos long ago. That original creator of the blog, the Rotom in Rose's device, and Oleana may make brief appearances on this blog.

This blog is a villain blog and thus will act in cruel, antagonistic ways. In particular, Rose is noticeably classist and transphobic. He acts this way to blend into the narrative I have in mind for Bede. If this might upset you, please feel free to block! If it sounds interesting, please feel free to interact! I will tag anything I believe people might find upsetting, in particular #tw transphobia, #transphobia, and #transphobia warning.

Current arc: N/A

@beauty-abuzz - my interpretation of Burgh from pokemon BW2! He is Castelia City's eccentric, dreamy, and impulsive gym leader with a heart of gold. Currently, he is engaged to @elite-four-grimsley

Current arc: N/A

@pokemonworld-ology - A faller blog for the Lodger/Bormot from Knock-Knock by IcePickLodge! Coming from an isolated cabin deep in the woods, Bormot is a stubborn, matter of fact, and extremely troubled scientist who mysteriously emerged into the Slumbering Weald after taking a fateful walk through the forest. Now, he is staying as a guest in the home of Emelia, mother of Gloria, Galar's own champion, and trying to wrap his head around both pokemon as a whole and modern human interaction. Emelia and Gloria may rarely make appearances on this blog.

Current arc: Bormot has caught a Purrloin! Now, he needs to establish himself as a trainer. Just what does being a pokemon trainer mean for him?

OOC Notes

I do my best to keep my blogs inclusive, bipoc friendly, trans friendly, pro-Palestinian, and generally safe and friendly spaces!

If you disagree with any of these values, please move along! If I've unknowingly done anything to betray these values, please let me know immediately. I'm not perfect, but I'll always try to improve 🙏

No NSFW asks or interactions are permitted on any of these blogs

Non-negotiable, especially on blogs with muses who are minors. That said,

Any and all other interactions are welcome and encouraged!

If I don't get to your ask/reblog, it's more than likely for a personal reason, rather than you doing anything wrong. I struggle with many a mental illness, which makes staying on top of everything difficult. I love meeting new blogs and participating in other people's stories!

All of these blogs accept Pelipper Mail and In Character Anon Hate. Magic Anons are restricted to events only.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to send an ask with any questions you may have!

[dark-type-appreciator]

Pinned post!! ^w^

Hi!! My name's Liam, I'm 17! I like playing games and drawing- im not very good at either tho dsjhfjksdhf- but I'll be posting abt it a lot!

ive got autism n adhd, so im pretty forgetful and might not understand things right away- x_x im sorry!! please just tell me if I mess something up

I love dark types so much, so i know a lot about them! i'm not an expert but if you have any questions about them I can probably answer!! ^w^

//(top 2 are by @/userboxranger, bottom two are by me!)

um, if we're mutuals plz tag your posts with bug types if you dont already!! I have a really bad phobia of them, and I dont wanna see them at all TwT

No DNI rlly, just be nice to people!!

Oh! ive also got ocs! here's my post talking abt them! I should probably explain them better soon TwT

and here's my sona!!

Actias (@act11as) back at it again... Oh boy! OOC posts will be tagged as #ooc and will be the color green! though usually you'll find my OOC comments over at @battle-subway-aftershow

All triggering content will be tagged as "#[word] tw" for better blacklisting. Please contact me if I miss something or you need something tagged.

‼ This blog will have heavy themes! including mental illness, gaslighting, (witnessed) domestic abuse, emotional abuse, child neglect, Past physical abuse, and generally dysfunctional and unhealthy family and friend dynamics ‼ [This blog is heavily connected to @sound-type-advocate, highly recommend following if you want the full story.]

Boundaries

Self-insert Fallers, do not interact. There is a certain level of unreality I can handle and self-insert fallers cross that threshold. I will block over this, be warned. Everyone else is fine to interact!

NSFW COMMENTS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

IN CHARACTER anon hate is okay! I have the right to not answer anything, and if you're ever unsure, feel free to ask.

Extra:

Pelipper Mail, un-mail, and Malice are off currently!

Mystery Gifts are closed! Though if this and Pelipper mail were to open, this one is preferred!

Musharna mail, and Musharna malice are always on! Magic anons are off.

Organizational Tags!

Liam Chatters - General post tag! As long as he's saying something in the text portion, it'll be tagged. Reblog! ^w^ - Reblog tag. Pretty self explanatory Future Sight (queue) - Queued posts tag! Again pretty self explanatory. Liam used Doodle! - Art tag! Liam's art will be tagged as this, for those who want to see it. Foresight - Out of character tag. It marks posts that will potentially be important in the future. This can range from his opinions on things to heavy lore posts! Good tag to read through if you think you're missing something!

Friend Tags! (Tags for friends!)

#Tari mention - tag for Tari from @/pokemoncryptids #faith is friending - tag for Faith from @/faithispokemoning #rare sprig appearance - Tag for Sprig... Who does not have a public account! they're Liam's friend however.

ONGOING ARCS:

Nothing named!

PAST ARCS/EVENTS:

#Lucy Strikes! - One of Liam's friends stole his phone while they were supposed to be visiting. General warnings for bullying. #Mask Off Arc - Shorter arc involving the aftermath of the previous event. Liam started to open up a little more, and hey! Mask reveal! (subject to be renamed, could be used for something more important currently)

Blocklist:

These are blogs Liam has blocked in-character! usually for lore reasons! these are not blogs that have personally been blocked, feel free to interact on anon if you're on this list!

@/tinkatinktrain

@/sound-type-advocate

[whipitgoodfvk]

Greetings, Rotomblr. My name is Franziska von Karma, international prosecutor. I am not of this world, though I have found myself here for some reason, having woken up one day in the middle of an empty park in a city called Castelia.

In other words, I am a Faller from a world without Pokemon.

Since then, I have been taking on the Gym Challenge, training alongside a few Pokemon and traveling throughout this Unova region. I have acquired four badges as of this writing, and fully intend to gain the remaining four as well.

My team stands as follows:

Eevee (F) -- Sayo

Magneton (X) -- Maxwell

Sigilyph (M) -- Cormag

Trapinch (M) -- Titan

There was a moment where I encountered a particular young fool with spiky blue hair named Hugh, as the two of us investigated a theft at a local ranch. He briefly had possession of my phone, but was courteous enough to use blue text to differentiate himself from yours truly.

I also have encountered a young woman named Iris, who I have learned is the region's Top Champion. She was alongside me during an investigation in Castelia, and used pink text to mark herself on the blog.

In Nimbasa, I received an unexpected phone call from someone I never thought I would see here... my partner from my home world. I am seeking her out now, and should I find her, she will use purple text - her favorite color.

OOC info under the cut!

OOC: Hi! I'm @casualgamefreak, starting to get a little more into this thing! Franziska is my blorbo from Ace Attorney, I am in LOVE with her, and I saw some buddies in one of my Discord servers doing this thing, and then I got the idea to throw Fran into Black 2, and it was on from there. Ghetsis will Suffer >:)

Pelipper Mail is ON. Pelipper Malice, magic anons, and Musharna Mail are all OFF.

A couple tags:

Character tags:

#hugh posting -- Should be self-explanatory.

#champion time -- Champion Iris.

#the gremlin herself -- Maya Fey.

Story tags:

#ranch arc -- Franziska and Hugh encounter each other at Floccesy Ranch. Events follow, and Franziska gets her introduction to Team Plasma.

#homecoming arc -- Franziska follows some fleeing Plasma grunts to Castelia, and finds not only a larger operation there, but the field she woke up in at the start of it all.

#reunion arc -- Franziska finds a dropped phone, which turns out to belong to someone she knew from back home. From there, she makes an effort to find her.

Misc tags:

#ask game -- posting ask games and responses to such.

[puzzlesolverpkmn]

...I'm not sure why there's a phone here, seeing as there doesn't seem to be any other electricity around, but I guess I'll just go with it for now?

Hello?

I'm Luke!

My Pokémon are a Rowlet named Spite and a female Shinx named Zap!

OOC: hi there this is a faller pokeblog where I throw Luke Triton from the Professor Layton series into Hisui. have fun!

he's post-canon for all six main games and the ace attorney crossover (not new world of steam because that isn't out yet) but major spoilers will be marked! Except if you know nothing about the Layton series because there's this one thing that's only a spoiler if you play Spectre's Call before any game other than maybe Curious Village and that will not be marked.

Minor spoilers for Layton and Ace Attorney will not be marked. For AA, it's not anything like who the culprit is in any case, basically probably just 1-2 stuff. For either, it's mostly stuff you could get by internet osmosis.

Occasionally others have picked up Luke's phone: these include Akari (tagged with #akari) and Laventon (tagged with, currently, #laventon and/or #professor). I have never claimed to be good at blog organisation. Other tags used include #kricketune arc, #video and #speaking.

[shingetsu-online]

yep!! hello, i'm in the pokemon irl community! i do infact, run like 5 blogs including the crispin one :))

i'm gonna list them for fun ^_^

@uva-academy-vio - oc blog for my pokemon violet protagonist, vio; ghost whisperer teen with bucketloads of trauma. [/hj] currently he's in the arc where he goes to galar for the holidays!!

@furiousjasper - oc blog for my shield protagonist, jasper!; she's vio's cousin and a minor division electric-type gym leader!! he also has a regieleki and a love of bad puns

@hisuisrelic-grey - oc blog for my pla protagonist grey!! this blog takes place 2 years after pla and occasionally kojiro [barry] and toya [dawn] come on the blog!! they're all professors/historians :))

@bed-poke-man - faller blog for bedman and delilah from guilty gear! they're in galar and bedman recently caught a ponyta :]]

@bbleague-crispin - canon character blog for crispin!! very self-explanatory :D

thanks for the tag sarah :DDDD

hey anon! I’m moving this to my main blog just so that the askblog’s not cluttered w unrelated things, yk! Will prob reblog it there w the delete later tag

also this is really oddly specific lmao

I’m not. Been considering making one, maybe for Hugh or Sarah, but I want to advance the story to arc 1 first! (we’re still on the prelude for reference)

I don’t follow too many atm, but I have been following the bb league ones! Personally recommending @drayster-real @the-drayster @bbleague-crispin @elite-amarys @in-all-fairness and @director-cyrano !! (also my untagging thing is being weird again so they’re all tagged aksgjav)

I dooo!! That would be my bestie @shingetsu-online!!!! He’s running like 5 blogs or smth (including the crispin one) so please drop him a few follows :)

[kitsquared]

Wait but pokemon special/adventures wise

White was trained by Emmet and Ingo

And White was devastated by Black being sucked into the White Orb plus did everything she could to get him back

Just saying White (and Black cuz he's free now) would help Emmet or Emmet goes to them

Mentor Mentee bondingg!!

[ask-a-staravia]

Alright!! Here's the total amount of lies and spoilers given for the meme:

Lies: 2

Spoilers: 2

Got a fifty-fifty chance hehe >:]c

OH also have this lmao:

- - -

"Well, it was nice meeting you all!" Mukudori says, turning to the fallers that remain at their booth. "Sadly, we have to go- duty calls! I hope we can do this again and see you some other ti-"

"You heard him! Move! Shoo!" Takeo shouts from behind, taking off the two now-empty bowls off the table before skillfully disassembling the piece of furniture.

"T-takeo, c'mon now..." Mukudori turns back to face his teammate, fidgeting his wings a little before coming over to help him take apart the table, albeit much less skillfully.

Soon enough, Setsuko, Hanako, and Saburo make their way up the hill to meet the Oshawott and Staravia. Setsuko and Takeo grab the piles of bamboo- the latter a little red in the face as he tries to carry more than the Luxio, who doesn't seem to notice as she almost effortlessly carries her large bundle. Saburo carries the bowls, doing some high-knee exercises as they walk along, and Hanako cheerfully hums a song while continuing to make yet another bugswort flower crown.

Mukudori starts after his team, albeit little slowly, but then turns back to look at the fallers he interacted with. "Goodbye! See you soon!" He says cheerfully. And with a smile and a wave, he chases after his teammates.

- - -

Ok ok ok I did it!!

ARC ONE: COMPLETED!!

This arc was just a little introductory one that was supposed to get y'all acquainted with the blog's lore, characters, and history and for me to get used to ask blogging ^^' If I didn't get around to answering your question, don't worry! They'll be prioritized in Arc Two (which will come out in early February 2023 at the latest). In that arc, the plot will really pick up hehe >:3c Until then though, do expect to see me and the squad again! I'm going to run a food truck in this year's Art and Music Festival Event, and I plan to participate in a couple other events if they do pop up!

[cirosas-strongest-leader]

(THE ASSKICKENING, featuring @time-travel-trio and @skyfire-the-pokemon-biologist)

..you know that the Cirosan police actually tried to hire Cyan for her actions, right?..anyways...time to kick some ass. I've been waiting for some violence..

(They start cackling. W i l d l y before jumping out the window...now obscured by their shroomish's spores..)

@time-travel-trio

[ruby3818]

The amount of plot points leading up to SM in the BW2 epilogue that never actually happened in SM makes me very hopeful that the reason SM is rushed and filled with dropped plot elements is because they were waiting for BW2 to end.

We have this whole thing about Colress in SM is actually Lack-Two which is a pretty big thing to introduce without exploring more, especially since Colress doesn’t have much of a role in SM at the moment. This is something that logically couldn’t have been explored in the magazine run without 1) Spoiling BW2′s ending and 2) without the context from BW2′s ending so waiting for the numbered volumes makes sense.

Blue and Tricky got teased as members of Interpol which I guess this could be explored more in ORAS numbered release along with Annabel becoming a Faller and Intepol agent but regardless there’s a huge emphasis on Interpol that pokespe seems to be leading up to and SM would be the most logical arc to explore that. 

We also never got a conclusion to Moon’s whole arc about saving Piplup besides seeing it already cured in the epilogue so I’m really hoping for more than just the usual numbered additions. Although iirc White’s arc was mostly resolved in the numbered volumes with her thanking N for helping her to understand what her Pokemon want, so Moon may get the same treatment but the other stuff I mentioned...

So here’s hoping for more content in the SM numbered volumes o/

[newsfact]

NBA Power Rankings 2021: Each team’s biggest X-Factors through Week 3

Another week of NBA action has passed, meaning it’s time for our latest installment of power rankings.

Three weeks have now gone by in the 2021-22 season and as teams approach the 10-game checkpoint, we’re learning more about who’s who around the league. While a select few teams have come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, there are some other teams with major aspirations that have stumbled while they work to figure things out.

As always, there have been a few early-season surprises, but it’s far too soon to determine whether or not the success will be sustained for 82 games.

As a reminder, these power rankings are a reflection of where teams stand up to this point in the season and not a projection of where they may land later in the season.

With that in mind, let’s get into the rankings following the week that was.

The undefeated and the winless

Undefeated: 76ers (4-0), Nets (3-0), Suns (3-0), Clippers (4-0), Warriors (3-0), Cavaliers (4-0)

Winless: Pelicans (0-3), Pistons (0-3), Timberwolves (0-3), Hornets (0-4), Rockets (0-4)

Biggest riser

Philadelphia 76ers: 14 → 5

Biggest faller

Los Angeles Lakers: 5 → 12

Weekly scoring leader

DeMar DeRozan – 33.0 ppg on 61.4 percent shooting from the field, 66.7 percent from beyond the arc and 86.2 percent from the free-throw line through three games.

NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)

NBA Power Rankings 2021

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/2YubS5M

1. Miami Heat

Previous rank: 3

Overall W-L: 7-2

Last week: 2-1

Upcoming: at Nuggets, at Lakers, at Clippers, at Jazz

X-Factor: Tyler Herro’s Sixth Man of the Year campaign

Herro is off to a blazing start this season, averaging 21.3 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from 3. His scoring average is the highest of any player in the league coming off of the bench, and he’s also Miami’s second-leading scorer, providing a necessary punch on offense. If the Heat are going to reach their championship aspirations, they’ll need Herro to continue to produce at this level.

– Kyle Irving

MORE: How Kyle Lowry is transforming the Heat

2. Utah Jazz

Previous rank: 2

Overall W-L: 7-3

Last week: 2-2

Upcoming: vs. Hawks, vs. Pacers, vs. Heat

X-Factor: Donovan Mitchell’s fourth-quarter scoring

After a slow-ish start to the season, Donovan Mitchell has picked things up on the offensive end for the Jazz, taking over down the stretch in wins over the Kings and Bucks. Last season, he was 11th in fourth-quarter scoring. While the Jazz’s team-first offense yields balanced results, they look their best when Mitchell is cooking late in games as the team’s best shot creator.

— Benyam Kidane

3. Golden State Warriors

Previous rank: 4

Overall W-L: 8-1

Last week: 3-0

Upcoming: vs. Hawks, vs. Timberwolves, vs. Bulls, at Hornets

X-Factor: Golden defense

Draymond Green is looking like the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Andre Iguodala and Andrew Wiggins are flying around on the wings. Gary Payton II is pestering opposing guards off the bench. Stephen Curry is… turning into Dikembe Mutombo? Put it all together, and you’ve got the team with the best defensive rating in the NBA.

Oh, and the Warriors are doing this without Klay Thompson.

— Jordan Greer

MORE: When will Thompson return to the lineup?

4. Brooklyn Nets

Previous rank: 6

Overall W-L: 7-3

Last week: 3-0

Upcoming: at Bulls, at Magic, at Pelicans, at Thunder

X-Factor: James Harden returning to MVP form

No surprise here. For the Nets to compete with the best of the best without Kyrie Irving, they’re going to need Harden to find his groove again. Much has been made of his slow start this season, which could be a combination of him still working his way back from the hamstring injury he dealt with last season and some of the rule changes. A good sign for the Nets? Harden’s been better lately, posting a triple-double in Brooklyn’s win over Detroit, a 16-point, 11-assist double-double in its win over Atlanta and 28 points in its win over Toronto.

— Scott Rafferty

5. Philadelphia 76ers

Previous rank: 14

Overall W-L: 8-2

Last week: 4-0

Upcoming: vs. Knicks, vs. Bucks, vs. Raptors, at Pacers

X-Factor: Seth Curry’s shooting

No player in NBA history – not even Seth’s older brother – has shot the ball better to begin a season. Curry is en fuego, drilling over 60 percent of his 2s and 50 percent of his 3s while pumping in a career-high 17.1 points per game. He’s perhaps the biggest reason why the 76ers have the NBA’s most efficient offense as Curry’s true shooting percentage of 76.1 was the best ever through nine games.

— Micah Adams

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/3mSK9VC

6. Chicago Bulls

Previous rank: 11

Overall W-L: 6-3

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Nets, vs. Mavericks, at Warriors, at Clippers

X-Factor: Nikola Vucevic finding his feet in a new role

The Bulls’ early-season success has been carried by DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who are both top five in the league in scoring, meaning Nikola Vucevic has been the one to sacrifice touches and scoring opportunities with the big man off to one of the slowest starts in his NBA career. While he’s said he’s happy to impact the game in other ways with his passing, rebounding and screen setting, in matchups against quality big men, how Vucevic picks his moments to step up as secondary scorer will make the world of difference for the Bulls.

— Benyam Kidane

7. Milwaukee Bucks

Previous rank: 1

Overall W-L: 4-6

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: at 76ers, at Knicks, at Celtics, at Hawks

X-Factor: Getting and staying healthy

Care to guess how many minutes Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo have played together this season? 21, over two games. Antetokounmpo continues to do his thing — you know, putting anyone who dares stand in his way through the rim and blocking everything in sight — but an ankle injury has limited Holiday to four games and Middleton is currently in the league’s health and safety protocols. Until the three of them are on the court together again, there’s only so much we can learn about this team.

— Scott Rafferty

8. Phoenix Suns

Previous rank: 10

Overall W-L: 3-0

Last week: 5-3

Upcoming: at Kings, vs. Trail Blazers, at Grizzlies, at Rockets

X-Factor: The fallout of the Robert Sarver investigation

The Suns are dealing with issues much bigger than their on-court product. An in-depth ESPN report painted a picture of a “toxic and sometimes hostile workplace” under team owner Robert Sarver, who allegedly used racially insensitive and misogynistic language in several instances. Purely from a basketball perspective, Phoenix has great leaders in Monty Williams and Chris Paul, who has unfortunately dealt with this kind of situation before when the NBA banned former Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Still, it will be a challenge for the team to remain completely focused on hoops as this investigation unfolds.

— Jordan Greer

9. New York Knicks

Previous rank: 9

Overall W-L: 6-4

Last week: 1-3

Upcoming: at 76ers, vs. Bucks, at Hornets

X-Factor: Derrick Rose’s production

It seems clear that head coach Tom Thibodeau intends to continue to start Kemba Walker, with Rose playing a sixth man role off the bench. Walker has had more ups than downs to start the season, but there are games where he seems to disappear, such as his four-point outing against the Pacers followed by a five-point outing against the Bucks. That’s where Rose is like an ace up their sleeve, pouring in 23 points, eight boards, four assists and two steals to ignite a comeback victory over the defending champions. As long as Rose and Walker can be like a yin and yang alongside Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier, the Knicks will be just fine offensively.

– Kyle Irving

10. Denver Nuggets

Previous rank: 7

Overall W-L: 5-4

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Heat, vs. Pacers, vs. Hawks, vs. Trail Blazers

X-Factor: Michael Porter Jr. finding his touch again

Porter was recognized for the leap he made last season by finishing third in Most Improved Player voting. The scary part is that he’s still only scratching the surface of his potential, but he hasn’t exactly had a great start to this season, averaging 9.9 points on .359/.208/.556 shooting splits in Denver’s first nine games. That’s not going to cut it if the Nuggets are going to survive until Jamal Murray comes back. There’s only so much Nikola Jokic can do.

— Scott Rafferty

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11. Dallas Mavericks

Previous rank: 10

Overall W-L: 6-3

Last week: 2-1

Upcoming: vs. Pelicans, at Bulls, at Spurs

X-Factor: Jalen Brunson’s secondary playmaking

There’s been a lot of chatter over the last 12 months about how the Mavericks could do with another ball handler next to Luka Doncic to take some of the playmaking duties off of his plate. Maybe more Brunson is the answer? In his first start of the season, Brunson scored 25 points. He followed it up by dropping 31 points on the Spurs, making bucket after bucket down the stretch. He’s probably not going to continue averaging 28.0 points per game as a starter, but him taking another leap would be a pretty big deal.

— Scott Rafferty

12. Los Angeles Lakers

Previous rank: 5

Overall W-L: 5-5

Last week: 1-2

Upcoming: vs. Hornets, vs. Heat, vs. Timberwolves, vs. Spurs

X-Factor: Health

OK, so maybe this is a cop-out. And there is no denying that you could write “health” for all 30 teams. But it feels especially important for the Lakers who are already banged up after entering this season as one of the oldest teams in NBA history. LeBron James is out with an abdominal strain, Anthony Davis sustained a thumb injury in Thursday’s loss to the Thunder, Talen Horton-Tucker is still recovering from surgery on his thumb, and Trevor Ariza likely won’t make his Lakers’ debut until December as he recovers from ankle surgery.

— Micah Adams

MORE: How much time will LeBron miss?

13. Toronto Raptors

Previous rank: 21

Overall W-L: 6-5

Last week: 2-2

Upcoming: at Celtics, at 76ers, vs. Pistons

X-Factor: Scottie Barnes’ offense

The rap sheet on Barnes coming out of Florida State was that he showed immense promise as a wing defender but only if he could shore up an incredibly limited offensive game enough to stay on the floor. So naturally, the supposedly offensively challenged Barnes leads all rookies in scoring at 16.6 points per game, which would be the most by a Raptors rookie since Vince Carter in 1998-99. If the rookie’s offensive exploits are for real, Toronto may have unearthed yet another draft gem.

— Micah Adams

MORE: Is Barnes the favourite to win Rookie of the Year?

14. Atlanta Hawks

Previous rank: 8

Overall W-L: 1-3

Last week: 4-6

Upcoming: at Warriors, at Jazz, at Nuggets, vs. Bucks

X-Factor: Staying focused during the “boring” regular season

Trae Young raised some eyebrows when he called the regular season “boring” and said that you have to “find the motivation to play like the playoffs.” The Hawks have a deep roster full of talented players, yet they find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to start the season. Atlanta coach Nate McMillan wants to see his squad show that it is “hungry” to be better than it was last year. A tough stretch of games this week could be a good indicator of whether the Hawks heard the message.

— Jordan Greer

15. Memphis Grizzlies

Previous rank: 16

Overall W-L: 2-1

Last week: 5-4

Upcoming: vs. Timberwolves, vs. Hornets, vs. Suns, at Pelicans

X-Factor: Jaren Jackson Jr. finding his rhythm

Coming back from injury this season, Jackson Jr. was earmarked as the team’s second star alongside Ja Morant, but it’s been the electric point guard carrying the Grizzlies early on. Jackson Jr. has the potential to raise the team’s ceiling to a genuine playoff threat, but his poor shooting (34.2 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3) and consistent foul trouble has so far limited his impact in games, especially in the minutes he’s on court without Morant. As the only big man in the rotation who can space the floor, his ability to knock down shots and open up even more space for Morant is arguably their biggest key to success this season.

— Benyam Kidane

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16. Washington Wizards

Previous rank: 15

Overall W-L: 7-3

Last week: 2-2

Upcoming: at Cavaliers, at Magic

X-Factor: Kyle Kuzma’s rebounding

It’s still early in the season, but Kuzma is averaging over nine boards, which is the highest mark of his career … by far. He’s already turned in games of 11, 12, 15 and 17 rebounds this season, and there are over 70 games remaining. Prior to this season, the most rebounds Kuzma had averaged was 6.3 during his rookie campaign. This season, Kuzma’s activity on the boards has played a big role in Washington ranking among the league’s top five teams in rebounds per game, putting its name among teams like Miami, Golden State and Utah, each of whom landed in the top five of this week’s rankings.

— Gilbert McGregor

17. Portland Trail Blazers

Previous rank: 13

Overall W-L: 2-2

Last week: 5-5

Upcoming: at Clippers, at Suns, at Rockets, at Nuggets

X-Factor: When will Damian Lillard start heating up?

10 games into the season, Lillard has yet to find his shooting stroke. He isn’t just performing below his usual All-Star standards — his numbers are flat-out bad. He is shooting less than 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range. Does this mean the Trail Blazers should panic? No, of course not. Lillard can get hot at any time. Until he does, though, they will struggle to consistently win games.

— Jordan Greer

18. Boston Celtics

Previous rank: 18

Overall W-L: 2-2

Last week: 4-6

Upcoming: vs. Raptors, vs. Bucks, at Cavaliers

X-factor: Al Horford turning back the clock.

With the noise coming out of Boston to start the season, all the attention has been on Marcus Smart’s comments and the All-Star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Meanwhile, offseason acquisition Horford has been by far the team’s most consistent player, looking like the version of himself the Celtics signed back in the summer of 2016. Averaging 13.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game, Boston is getting more production out of the 35-year-old veteran than anyone could have imagined.

– Kyle Irving

MORE: Are the Celtics as bad as their start suggests?

19. LA Clippers

Previous rank: 20

Overall W-L: 5-4

Last week: 4-0

Upcoming: vs. Trail Blazers, vs. Heat, vs. Timberwolves, vs. Bulls

X-Factor: Players playing up to their contracts

Paul George has been playing at an MVP level to start the season, but without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers have struggled to churn out wins. LA paid five role players handsomely over the last two offseasons, with Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris Sr. each signing a four-year, $64 million deal, Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann each signing a two-year, $22 million deal, and Serge Ibaka signing a two-year, $19 million deal.

Thus far, their production hasn’t exactly matched their value. Morris has been out with a knee injury, as has Ibaka with a back injury. Jackson, Mann and Kennard have all had good games, but nothing consistent to this point. If the Clippers are going to win without Kawhi, they’ll need those five players to get going.

– Kyle Irving

20. Cleveland Cavaliers

Previous rank: 23

Overall W-L: 7-4

Last week: 4-0

Upcoming: vs. Wizards, vs. Pistons, vs. Celtics

X-Factor: Darius Garland’s playmaking

Who says Garland can’t be the floor general for a successful team? Three weeks into his third NBA season, Garland is among the league leaders in assists per game, placing his name alongside the likes of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Trae Young and Chris Paul. Garland’s incremental progress as a playmaker has allowed him to grow into a player that is averaging nearly eight assists per night, setting the table for a number of his talented Cavs teammates. If it’s a sign of things to come, Cleveland has even more winning in its future.

— Gilbert McGregor

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21. Sacramento Kings

Previous rank: 22

Overall W-L: 5-5

Last week: 2-2

Upcoming: vs. Suns, at Spurs, at Thunder

X-Factor: The 3 ball

In a 140-110 rout over the Hornets, the Kings set a new franchise record with 22 made 3-pointers, doing so at a 50 percent clip. It starts with Buddy Hield, who is among the league leaders in total made 3-pointers and 3s per game, which is especially impressive given the fact that he’s doing so as a reserve. Sacramento is far from the top of the league with respect to 3-point shooting, but with an elite shooter like Hield in the fold, the 3 can make a difference on any given night.

— Gilbert McGregor

22. Charlotte Hornets

Previous rank: 17

Overall W-L: 5-6

Last week: 0-4

Upcoming: at Lakers, at Grizzlies, vs. Knicks, vs. Warriors

X-Factor: Terry Rozier’s re-emergence

It’s impressive that the Hornets have gotten off to the start they have this season despite Rozier’s struggles. Remember, Rozier is coming off of a career year in which he led Charlotte in scoring with 20.4 points per game and was one of the league’s best performers in the clutch. He’s still working his way back from the ankle injury he suffered in preseason, but when he finds his rhythm again, it’ll add even more juice to the Hornets.

— Scott Rafferty

23. Minnesota Timberwolves

Previous rank: 19

Overall W-L: 3-5

Last week: 0-3

Upcoming: at Grizzlies, at Warriors, at Lakers, at Clippers

X-Factor: More Towns touches

Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 23.4 points and within shouting distance of 50/40/90 shooting splits (field goals/3-pointers/free throws). There are not many big men that can match up with him given his ability to score at every level. So why is he third on his team in usage percentage behind Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell, both of whom are far less efficient than Towns? If the Timberwolves happened to be an offensive juggernaut, maybe you could let that slide, but they have one of the worst offensive ratings in the league.

— Jordan Greer

24. Indiana Pacers

Previous rank: 25

Overall W-L: 4-7

Last week: 3-1

Upcoming: at Nuggets, at Jazz, vs. 76ers

X-Factor: The presence of Chris Duarte

Duarte, 24, is much older than the typical lottery pick, but he approaches the game with a certain calmness that is most certainly a product of maturity. The rookie’s ability to score efficiently from the onset of his career has been a huge development for an Indiana team that began the season without one wing scorer in Caris LeVert and still anxiously awaits the return of another prolific player in TJ Warren.

Duarte is getting invaluable experience early on and things should only get easier for him as he continues to adjust to the NBA game and the Pacers get more weapons back.

— Gilbert McGregor

25. San Antonio Spurs

Previous rank: 24

Overall W-L: 3-7

Last week: 1-3

Upcoming: vs. Kings, vs. Mavericks, at Lakers

X-Factor: Derrick White stepping up offensively

White has been fantastic defensively and distributing the ball, second on the team in assists behind Dejounte Murray — who is having a breakout campaign — but with the Spurs losing several close games this season, they’ve needed that secondary offensive punch with many expecting that to be White. He has immense two-way potential, however, he is currently fourth in points per game behind Murray, Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl. If his offense catches up to his defense, the Spurs will be in a much better position.

— Benyam Kidane

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26. Houston Rockets

Previous rank: 28

Overall W-L: 1-9

Last week: 0-4

Upcoming: vs. Pistons, vs. Trail Blazers, vs. Suns

X-Factor: Embracing adversity

A tip of the hat to Christian Wood for the words here, but they could not reign more true.

As expected, Wood is posting impressive averages to open the season, but Houston isn’t experiencing much team success. As young as this Rockets team is, these losses — especially the close ones — are the ugly part of the process. With young players like Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Usman Garuba and Alperen Sengun carrying the torch for the future, the adversity they make it through now will make for success in the years to come.

— Gilbert McGregor

27. Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous rank: 27

Overall W-L: 3-6

Last week: 2-1

Upcoming: at Pelicans, vs. Kings, vs. Nets

X-Factor: Josh Giddey’s playmaking

It seems obvious, but the Thunder look extremely dangerous when the rookie is in his passing groove. The 19-year-old’s ability to generate easy looks at the rim for his teammates is impressive for his age/experience, and in their two wins this season — both against the Lakers — Giddey has combined for 18 assists. When he’s firing off passes and controlling the offense, it opens up a ton of opportunity for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to focus on scoring, which he’s doing at an elite level this season.

— Benyam Kidane

28. Orlando Magic

Previous rank: 29

Overall W-L: 3-8

Last week: 2-2

Upcoming: vs. Nets, vs. Wizards

X-Factor: Cole Anthony taking over

The No. 15 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony has hit the ground running this season. In his third game of the season, he exploded for 29 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. Since then, he’s scored 20-plus points four times, including a season-best 31 points in Orlando’s blowout win over Minnesota. It’s been a rough start to the season for the Magic, but Anthony’s play has been a bright spot.

— Scott Rafferty

29. New Orleans Pelicans

Previous rank: 26

Overall W-L: 0-3

Last week: 1-9

Upcoming: at Mavericks, vs. Thunder, vs. Nets, vs. Grizzlies

X-Factor: Zion Williamson’s health

Williamson set the league on fire last season, averaging 27.0 points per game on 61.1 percent shooting from the field. In less than 100 career games, he’s proven himself to be one of the most dominant and unique talents we’ve seen in a long time. The problem? He can’t seem to stay healthy. He appeared in 61 of a possible 72 games last season but was limited to 24 games in his rookie season and is still at least two weeks away from making his debut this season. Without him, the Pelicans are going to have a hard time winning games.

— Scott Rafferty

MORE: Expert medical analysis on Williamson’s injury

30. Detroit Pistons

Previous rank: 30

Overall W-L: 1-8

Last week: 0-3

Upcoming: at Rockets, at Cavaliers, at Raptors

X-Factor: Being patient

Particularly when it comes to Cade Cunningham, who, need you be reminded, is a rookie working his way back from an ankle injury he suffered in training camp. His shot isn’t falling right now — he went 7-for-39 (17.9 percent) from the field in his first three games — but Cunningham has shown off other parts of his game to get excited about, like his court vision and defensive versatility. The rest will eventually fall into place.

— Scott Rafferty

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The post NBA Power Rankings 2021: Each team’s biggest X-Factors through Week 3 first appeared on NEWSFACT.

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[whipitgoodfvk]

Greetings, Rotomblr. My name is Franziska von Karma, international prosecutor. I am not of this world, though I have found myself here for some reason, having woken up one day in the middle of an empty park in a city called Castelia.

In other words, I am a Faller from a world without Pokemon.

Since then, I have been taking on the Gym Challenge, training alongside a couple Pokemon and traveling throughout this Unova region.

My team can be seen as follows.

The team's names are as follows:

Eevee (F) -- Sayo

Magnemite (X) -- Maxwell

There was a moment where I encountered a particular young fool with spiky blue hair named Hugh, as the two of us investigated a theft at a local ranch. He briefly had possession of my phone, but was courteous enough to use blue text to differentiate himself from yours truly.

OOC info under the cut!

OOC: Hi! I'm @casualgamefreak, starting to get a little more into this thing! Franziska is my blorbo from Ace Attorney, I am in LOVE with her, and I saw some buddies in one of my Discord servers doing this thing, and then I got the idea to throw Fran into Black 2, and it was on from there. Ghetsis will Suffer >:)

Pelipper Mail is ON. Pelipper Malice, Magic anons, and Musharna Mail are all OFF.

A couple tags:

Character tags:

#hugh posting -- Should be self-explanatory.

Story tags:

#ranch arc -- Franziska and Hugh encounter each other at Floccesy Ranch. Events follow, and Franziska gets her introduction to Team Plasma.

Misc tags:

#ask game -- posting ask games and responses to such.

[mrauthor3ds]

Things I hope to see in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon

Time for early wishlists! Assuming that Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon are indeed sequels to Sun/Moon, what kind of things would I like to see in them...

1: Lusamine and Nihilego’s redemption arc

I’m sure a lot of us hope to see that Lusamine is making an effort to atone for her insane actions in Sun/Moon. Perhaps it can also give us more insight on when and how she lost it. But I also hope to see that specific Nihilego redeem itself, too.

I’m of the belief that that Nihilego, the one that was hanging out next to her in Ultra Space and was supposedly in that Beast Ball, is the same on that appeared at Aether Paradise twice, and could be the one that applied its neurotoxin to Lusamine long before the story began (judging by how long Gladion stayed at Route 8′s motel, I’d say about 2-3 years prior).

And keep in mind, after Nebby got Lusamine and Nihilego to de-fuse, Nihilego went back into the Beast Ball, and likely got brought back to Alola with her. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lusamine was tasked with making sure Nihilego doesn’t try to cause more trouble, and maybe eventually, that Nihilego will truly become an ally to us.

2: Mohn gets a role in the story

We’ve seen Mohn managing Poké Pelago, yes. We also hear the name as that of the leading professor on Ultra Space studies. And there’s way too many in-your-face hints that he’s the husband of Lusamine who got unexpectedly pulled into Ultra Space and was never seen again. Given what tends to happen to Fallers - people who have gone through Ultra Wormholes - as we see with Anabel, it’s easy to guess that Mohn suffered amnesia when he reappeared where Poké Pelago is now.

So I’m sure a lot of people wanted to know why we can’t just bring him to Gladion and Lillie to resolve things sooner. Well, perhaps Mohn can make an appearance in USUM’s story and maybe clear that up. Maybe he’ll remember scant tidbits about his time in Ultra Space, which can provide some help to us.

And who knows, maybe his wife and children might not be able to fully restore his memory, but they can be happy that he’s still himself in spirit. I know that’s not quite the happy ending that most people would want, but I think that would still be happy enough, and it would give a subtle but important lesson in the process.

3: A different Team Skull

And by that, I don’t mean make the Trial Captains of Sun/Moon be its members. We’re talking if this is a sequel. No, I mean a completely different Team Skull, with slightly different duds and perhaps a more serious mission. They can still retain the goofy quirks of the previous Team Skull, but with a SERIOUS MISSION.

...Likely involving Necrozma. After all, one of the reasons everyone suspected the Aether Foundation in Sun/Moon is because their white/gold color scheme goes with Solgaleo and Lunala. Well, Team Skull had an emphasis on black, which is clearly Necrozma’s primary color. Also, the “necro“ in its name can relate to the skull of Team Skull (death and all). So...yeah.

But who would lead this Team Skull? Well, one Punk Girl in the trailer park near Tapu Village tells that Team Skull was originally founded by a disgraced kahuna, but was deposed by the wrath of the tapu. This is likely long before Guzma rebuilt the gang. Perhaps that disgraced kahuna can make himself known here in USUM.

I’m sure the previous Team Skull of Sun/Moon won’t be happy to hear about a Team Skull appearing. Guzma and Plumeria especially might not be happy about this. You know, it can be sort of like the new Team Plasma of Black2/White2, but under a different management altogether.

4: An Ice-type specialist

One of the fascinating things about Alola is that there’s a specialist for just about every type. The Trial Captains cover Normal, Water, Fire, Grass, Electric, Ghost, and Fairy, the kahunas have Fighting, Rock, Dark, and Ground, Kahili has Flying, Molayne has Steel, Guzma has Bug, Plumeria has Poison, Faba has Psychic, and Ryuki has Dragon.

...But no Ice-type?

Okay, I know Sina has Ice-type Pokémon, but she’s only battled in the Battle Tree. That and Dexio is another Psychic specialist, so I’ll have to count them as complete outsiders (though Ryuki might also count as an outsider).

Point is, there’s a lot of things in Sun/Moon that beg for an Ice user to appear in these games that clearly put focus on Necrozma. For instance...

Post-championship, an Aether employee in Secret Lab A will comment on how Pokémon moves were used for cryostasis on the Pokémon in Lusamine’s “collection“. This makes me wonder...the possibility of a high-ranking Aether member, alongside Faba and Wicke, who specialized in Ice-types and was ordered at some point to deep-freeze all those Pokémon, as well as the three Type: Null...and afterward s/he left.

Again, it seems that Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon will be putting focus on Necrozma. In Refresh, when you pet the horn above Necrozma’s face, your hand will freeze. But it’s not Ice-type? Still, that gives me another theory. What if that same Aether member who was told to freeze those Pokémon defected to this new Team Skull, which is trying to harness Necrozma’s power for...something? Wouldn’t be the first time the new team got an Ice user while harnessing the power of a cold legendary Pokémon - I speak of course of Zinzolin in New Team Plasma (BW2 again).

Either way, in Aether or in Team Skull, I really hope that s/he has some prominent blue on the outfit.

5: Hau as the new Melemele kahuna

I know, I’ll be taking a lot of cues from Black2/White2 for this. But what if Hau finally succeeds Hala as the new kahuna of Melemele Island by this time? This is of course a similar vein to how the rival Cheren became the first Gym Leader you face in the sequel.

Not sure if he’d have a single type specialty, or if he’ll be anything like Blue (as the Viridian City Gym Leader in Gold/Silver) and use a few Pokémon of completely different types. You know, like say...Flareon, Vaporeon, and Leafeon.

6: Don’t replace the island challenge with Gyms!

Seriously, I doubt that Alola is going to just give up the island challenge altogether in favor of the classic Gym formula. I mean, come on! The island challenge is one of the things that made Sun/Moon so unique to the series!

Yes, I know. Alola has a Pokémon League now. But that doesn’t mean it has to use Gyms just like all the other regions. It can still work its traditional island challenge into it.

So in short, keep the island challenge. Make new trials for this time around, sure. Maybe see some new kahunas as well (likely just replacing Hala and Olivia, since they’re Elite Four members now).

7: New Alolan variants

I know some people were bummed to only see variants for Gen-1 Pokémon. Well, this can be a chance to add Alolan variants from other generations! Might probably be just Gen-2 ones, though. Since the Gen-1 games came to Virtual Console leading up to Sun/Moon, I believe that Gold/Silver on VC will lead up to Gen-2 variants.

Wouldn’t be new. After all, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire added a lot more Mega Evolutions. So...

What would you think? Lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of a Fire/Ice-type Girafarig, so it can get a new duality to play around with. Or maybe a Grass/Fire-type Sunflora, as a result of getting so much sun in Alola.

Anyway, I feel we should look at the Pokémon that currently can’t be found within Sun/Moon for ideas on new variants, especially since Masuda said that we’d see Pokémon in USUM that can’t be found in Sun/Moon.

8: More signature moves

This can be a chance to give some Pokémon their own new signature moves, like Mimikyu. For such a standout Pokémon, it doesn’t have an exclusive move that it can call its own. Maybe a Ghost- or Fairy-type mimicry of Pikachu’s famed Electric attacks? And Nihilego stands out even among the Ultra Beasts, but it doesn’t have its own unique move. This can be a chance to truly give Pokémon like them their turn in the bigger spotlight.

Along with this, I also hope to see a few more unique Z-Crystals. You know what I mean, right? The Z-Crystals that give exclusive Z-Moves to certain Pokémon. What Pokémon do you think deserve their own special Z-Moves? Silvally? Nihilego? Lemme know.

9: More clarification on the Ultra Beasts

The reports that Wicke provides on the Ultra Beasts in the post-game do give a few neat details on how SUPER WEIRD they are. But I hope we see EVEN MORE information on the Ultra Beasts, like how they came to be. Perhaps Lusamine and Mohn can give more insight?

10: Visit Ultra Space

Yup. Being able to access pockets of Ultra Space during your journey. Perhaps you can meet Pokémon that have hidden abilities in there, similar to the Hidden Grottos in Black2/White2. Well, that and be part of the main story.

11: Story battles with special twists

So we know that Totem Pokémon, and Fused Lusamine’s team, get stat boosts right at the start of the battles, which can set them apart from normal battles. But apparently, that’s not good enough for SOME people. Perhaps there can be other twists in some story battles, like against the antagonists. For instance, that suggested Ice-type specialist could do something that neutralizes Ice-type’s weaknesses during some battles. Or, someone could make it possible for all of his/her Pokémon to use their Z-Moves, rather than just one. Or someone whose Pokémon are all Mega Evolved. You know?

12: Difficulty toggle

So clearing Black2/White2 will let you access different difficulties. Easy Mode to reduce opponents’ levels, and Challenge Mode to raise their levels. Perhaps something like that can be enabled for Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon...though preferably without needing some keys.

And...that’s all I can think of at the moment. What about you? What features - whether story or gameplay - to do you hope to see in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon?

[itsworn]

Adam Sorokin Repeats As March Meet Top Fuel Winner in Chevy-Powered Champion Speed Shop Slingshot

Just as nitro-starved victims of the fuel ban flocked to Famoso for their winter fix starting in 1959, thousands arrive each March to get dosed with more nitromethane than any other modern meet delivers. Six of 16 March Meet eliminator categories run on “pop” and, with one exception, superchargers. Every run lasts 1,320 feet.

Despite the continuing decline of AA/FD entries (nine here) and a relative abundance of fuel floppers and fuel altereds, the March Meet remains a “dragster race”—at least in the minds of folks old enough to remember 100-plus Top Fuelers fighting for 64 spots. A half-century after the low-dollar Surfers won it and soon retired, anyone meeting Tom Jobe invariably asks how he and late partners Bob Skinner and Mike Sorokin pulled that off in 1966. If Mike’s son, Adam Sorokin, shows up 50 years from now at Milt’s Coffee Shop, some customer will surely inquire about the crazy circumstances contributing to his unlikely 2019 victory.

Fuel altered rookie Ron Capps was properly baptized into the world of Awful-Awfuls while qualifying a brand-new chassis (wearing a Fiat body bought from Mike Sullivan). Owners John and Roxie Hertzig initially suspected somebuddy’s prank when the big show’s 2016 Funny Car champ called to ask whether he might fill the open seat—and bring along his father and brother to help wrench on both Hertzig altereds. Capps fell to perennial March Meet winner Dan Hix in Round One but made the favorite work hard by leaving first and nearly forcing a sub-6.00-index breakout by Hix, who survived with a just-safe 6.021, on the brakes (208 mph). Famed freelancer Paul Sadler, whose lenses have favored AA/FAs since their early-1970s heyday, got the shot.

Sorokin’s upset of world-champ Mendy Fry concluded a final round that produced fellow winners Bobby Cottrell in AA/Funny Car (defeating impressive rookie Jerry Espeseth); James Day in Fuel Altered (d. Dan Hix); Mike Halstead, Rear-Engine T/F (d. Billy McDevitt); Dan Hix, Classic F/C (d. Rodney Flournoy); Kin Bates, A/FD (d. Wayne Ramay); Don Enriquez, Jr. Fuel (d. Alan Hull); Steve Faller, 7.0 Pro (d. George Vanderpool); Jason Barta, Nostalgia I (d. Lloyd Harder); Terry Linblad, N/E II (d. George Chatterton); Ron Anzalone, N/E III (d. Don Morris); Jim Teague, A/Gas (d. Frank Merenda); Steve Pullin, B/G (d. Nick Kendrick); David Stage, C/G (d. PJ Glacalone); Bill Norton, D/G (d. Bob Gonzalves); and Stacy Roberts in the DYO Hot Rod bracket (d. Dan Rowley).

Undefeated in NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage points series for a full year since runner-upping at the 2018 March Meet, Fry’s title defense got off to a rocky start belied by results sheets listing two world-record runs, overall low e.t. (5.49), top speed (265.43), and another second-place finish. Earlier, during qualifying, a freak failure of the drive coupler had the predictable effect on a Donovan Hemi that reportedly zinged past 12,000 rpm. One engine and run later, the coupler’s culprit revealed itself when a cracked rearend mount separated from the chassis at speed, taking out the brakes. Her ’chutes alone couldn’t keep Mendy from bouncing into the rain-hardened sand trap. Owner Tom Shelar and his veteran crew thrashed ’til 3 a.m. Sunday to clean out the mud and install a fresh axlehousing that friend Bruce Dyda fetched from his L.A. chassis shop two-plus hours south then drove straight back to deliver.

A huge upset saw Ron Capps’s teammate, James Day, wrestle the Hertzigs’ traditional, short-wheelbase, wingless American Bantam to a rare defeat of Dan Hix’s dominant “transformer” (i.e., a slow NHRA Funny Car rebodied as a roadster and planted by two big wings fore and aft). The difference was a holeshot (6.22-6.16) that prevented Hix, whose Mustang topped the 5.90-indexed, six-car Classic Funny field, from scoring possibly the first fuel “double” at a major nostalgia meet.

Entering eliminations against friendly archrival Jim Murphy, Fry had yet to make a full pass. She promptly uncorked a winning 5.518, the quickest in slingshot history, at 265.43, the top speed overall (just edging Dan Horan’s 265.22-mph Funny Car). Fry broke through the 5.40 barrier in the semis, but left so uncharacteristically late (0.219 r.t.) that she needed most of the 5.490 and a top-end charge of 259.71 to overcome Bret Williamson’s event-best (0.051) r.t. and 5.85 e.t. Fry’s lousy light was traced to worn throttle parks that got replaced just in time to warm the Hemi for what, on paper, figured to be a mismatch with a wounded Chevy car fully 3.5 tenths and 50 mph slower on the day.

Instead, an overlooked screw in that hastily assembled throttle linkage backed itself out somewhere between Fry’s burnout and staging; at the hit, nothing happened. For her second straight year, the favorite watched from the left lane while a longshot opponent drove away to nostalgia racing’s biggest prize. As winner Adam Sorokin understated afterward, it was lucky for him “that they don’t run ’em on paper.”

One new build always seems to steal the casual pitside shows that accompany Famoso’s two big races (the other being NHRA’s California Hot Rod Reunion, upcoming October 25-27). Jason Brown didn’t let wet roadways derail a long-planned maiden voyage for an LS-powered, Tremec-shifted ’28 Ford under construction for four long years. Only the metal above the belt line originated in Detroit; the rusty rest was replaced with sheet steel shaped by Bakersfield’s TL’s Rods. The one-stop shop also trimmed 9 inches of ugly air from all window openings, created a cowl-firewall assembly, and applied the paint. That oh-so-low roof makes McLean’s rear wheels look ever taller than their 20 inches. Note how the headers and radius rod follow the arc of TL’s fabricated frame, which tapers down from 4×2 tubing at the 9-inch Ford rearend. Brandon Gross of TL’s Rods slid behind the wheel for Hot Rod Deluxe to demonstrate the low-down, set-back seating position that comfortably accommodates his six-foot customer.

At once one of the darkest yet most colorful early pickups on the planet, the blacked-out ’41 Ford belongs to Mike Brown, brother of the chopped Model A’s owner. TL’s Rods added a Chevy LS and Mustang II suspension while subtracting 8 inches of bed length. Shop owner Brandon Gross personally painted both brothers’ hot rods.

Mendy Fry experienced a whole season’s worth of drama in the season opener, highlighted by the quickest and second-quickest slingshot e.t.’s ever. She’d been in record territory before, as a teenager driving two cars built together with her father, the late Ron Fry. Their full-fendered roadster was the world’s fastest street-legal car. The teenager’s unprecedented 6.15 in 1988 tentatively claimed NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster national record until the car slowed to 6.27 on her next, last chance for the mandatory backup. This time, the veteran, who describes herself as “the son that my dad never had,” made sure it stuck with back-to-black blasts of 5.518 and 5.490.

Here’s the Rick Dore build that launched the second season of his Rusted Development series. Marc McCaslin’s two-year search for an unmolested ’36 paid off in a complete, two-owner coupe suffering nothing worse than two small dents and the blown head gasket that sentenced it to decades of covered storage outdoors. Surprisingly stock below the windows, the car even retains both original bumpers, swapped end for end. A crate 350 Chevy and TH350 keep the show rolling. McCaslin (wearing the dark jacket, rear) drew smiles by cruising into and out of the Famoso Grove at approximately this ride height. The fourth-generation Bakersfield farmer relies on adjustable, poly bumpstops in all four corners to safely maintain as little as 1/4 inch of clearance “on a road that’s real smooth; no bumps!”

Here’s another way to extract exhaust from a tight overhead conversion. Philipp Meyer didn’t drive his Chevy-powered coupe all the way from his home in Germany, but he’s covered much of this country in the Model A built by Mackey’s Hot Rods. Local tube bender Sean McDougall formed the sexy stainless system.

Lewis Milmich (shown), who spends weekdays restoring early Cadillacs and C10 pickups for customers, got talked into helping build a shop truck by his son Lee, who also recruited father-in-law Bill Lynch. Over eight months their family affair progressed from a disassembled ’56 stocker to what you see here. They left the body and paint as found, except for fabricating the firewall, adding an aftermarket rear-window kit to the standard cab, minitubbing the inside of the bed, and installing a donor truck’s running boards and bed sides, painted and aged to match the surroundings. A coat of satin clear preserves the patina. A 460 plucked from an F-250 benefits from a Comp cam and Holley Sniper injection. Detroit Steel supplied the 20×9 and 20×11 rims.

Reminders of engine builder and Pro 7.0 racer Cub Barnett appeared on Juggers club mate Boyd Schafer’s ’40 Olds gasser and one of several pitside benches recognizing California Hot Rod Reunion honorees. He raced in Southern California and operated the dyno at Scotty’s Muffler Service prior to moving north to work for Ted Gotelli in 1961. He later partnered with Andy Brizio in Champion Speed Shop and operated his own engine shop until the end. Cub, the younger brother of pioneer racer Bud Barnett, suffered a heart attack while undergoing cancer treatments the week of the March Meet, just shy of his 85th birthday.

Saturday’s surprises included back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back exhibition runs by five wheelstanders, ranging from the ancient stagecoach of Ed and Wendy Jones (pictured) to Mike Kunz’s spunky and fast PT Cruiser. The wheelie rivals staged an impromptu, side-by-side header burndown on Sunday. The coach took the main stage immediately after the Mopar’s last pass and was circling at midtrack when Nitro Mike came down the return road and stopped, directly opposite, to unleash an extended firestorm that the Outlaw returned across the guard wall. As usual, the candy man later strolled the fence line and had screaming fans eating out of his hand. As far as kids are concerned, nobody keeps up with the Joneses. The Idaho couple’s 17-year, two-vehicle deal with family-owned Jelly Belly is among drag racing’s longest-running sponsorships.

Adam Sorokin never saw his final-round opponent but wasn’t taking any chances, keeping the hammer down even after his blower gave up the fight. A slowing 5.84 at just 212 mph clinched a second March Meet title for the son of 1966 champ Mike Sorokin. Paul Sadler’s photo illustrates why top-end shooters challenge each other to capture the 377-inch minimouse motor with a belt still intact at 1,320 feet.

Ask Bobby McLennan why he continues shoving pressurized nitromethane through a limited engine design abandoned by Top Fuel racers before the original slingshot era ended and he’ll answer, “Because the Chevy was my dad’s deal.” Father and son both appear in a previously unpublished Petersen Publishing image that HRM editor Wally Parks composed during a 1962 summer meet at Pomona. The late Jim McLennan (left), whose injected and blown slingshots were frequently featured in manufacturers’ late-1950s and early-1960s “hero” ads as the world’s quickest Chevys, is seen talking with longtime NHRA tech director Bill “Farmer” Dismuke. McLennan never won the March Meet, but his youngest crewman (who has already learned that nitro is for racin’ while gas is good for washin’ parts), his son Bobby, grew up to build the billet small-blocks that made Adam Sorokin the Top Fuel Eliminator of 2010 and 2019.

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